Monday, March 31, 2014

Incoming! Career Resources for Veterans


Spring has finally arrived to a grateful population, as many of us dig out from beneath snow drifts and heavy coats heaped upon us by Old Man Winter. As warmer temperatures reinvigorate us to embrace outside activities, now may be a good time to breathe new life into your job search as well. Recruiters from thousands of employers are constantly searching our database for top talent. Sign into your account now, https://board.recruitmilitary.com/sign_in, search our 525,000+ jobs and also make sure your profile is current. Read below on how many veterans are successfully transitioning into a variety of roles in the civilian sector and important updates impacting veterans. Veteran Success Story - John Winkler, Snap-On Tools Franchisee Meet John Winkler, a former Army specialist, who is now part of the Snap-On Tools family. “I felt like a career change,” he said. “A lot of my friends were in the construction industry, and they told me about these guys who came by with tools. They said those guys were always helpful and happy. I started to do a little research, and that led me to Snap-on.” Now he owns a Snap-on Tools franchise in the south side of Chicago, covering five towns in the area. He has been at it for just over 18 months, but he is already finding a lot of success. Help Wanted! RecruitMilitary is seeking military spouses or relatives to perform remote, part-time, administrative work on a contract basis. If interested, please email your resume and qualifications to Emily@recruitmilitary.com. Featured Industry - Franchising There is an old saying about franchising – “In franchising you’re in business for yourself, but never by yourself.” This is certainly true whether you are selling Italian ice or cutting grass. Franchising lets people own their own businesses, but also gives them the backing of larger organizations when it comes to such factors as marketing and getting the best deals from suppliers. Read about how veterans are making franchising work for them. Psychology Today Story Touts the Advantages of Attending Career Fairs Job fairs offer an unprecedented opportunity to get your credentials in front of a large number of employers in a short amount of time. A few hours of preparation can make all the difference in your experience. Take advantage of them even if you’re “sure” they don’t have anything to offer you. Just the practice of going up and talking to a company representative can be a great experience and prepare you for when you do meet the representative from the “dream” company you do want to work for. Keep reading. Featured Employer - Outdoor Living Brands Created with the idea of bringing together all the best franchise opportunities in a single category, Outdoor Living Brands, headquartered in Richmond, Va., is a unique franchisor that offers strength through synergy. “The vision behind our strategic plan was to assemble a family of related outdoor living orientated businesses under one common umbrella franchise support organization,” said Chris Grandpre, Chairman and CEO of Outdoor Living Brands. Learn how veterans have found success there. Pro-Veteran Franchise Legislation Coming Soon The Help Veterans Own Franchises (HVOF) Act, sponsored by Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.), establishes a tax credit for honorably discharged veterans to become small business owners by offering tax credits to offset start-up costs equal to 25% of franchise fees. Since the average franchise business creates 15 jobs, the Help Veterans Own Franchise Act will turn our military heroes into economic leaders, creating urgently needed jobs in communities across America. If you are looking to be the boss instead of reporting to one, the franchising industry remains a stable, safe choice for transitioning military personnel. Is this year finally ‘your time’ to become self-employed? To learn more about entrepreneurship through franchise ownership and what options are out there, attend a free webinar, Franchising as a More Lucrative and Stable Career Path for Veterans, sponsored by Veteran Franchise Centers, a partnership between RecruitMilitary and Entrepreneur Authority. There is no charge to attend but you must pre-register, which you can do online by clicking on the linked seminar title. You may also register by calling toll free 866.246.2884. Wall Street Journal Article Offers Sound Job Tips for Veterans. According to the Wall Street Journal, the first step for veterans entering the job market is reassessing yourself, your skills and your experience to establish a goal and determine how you'll accomplish it. The article offers job tips and encourages veterans to get into a civilian mind set, noting, “Many companies screen résumés with software that looks for industry-specific keywords and phrases. You need to word your cover letter and résumé to avoid being screened out by an automated process or an entry-level human-resources employee who doesn't understand military jargon.” Read more. South Carolina Aims to Become Most Military-Friendly State through New Palmetto Partnership South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has announced a plan to assist new veterans seeking employment in response to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's proposed spending reductions to shrink the U.S. military to pre-World War II levels. The operation’s goal is to streamline the process for veterans in search of employment and educate employers about the value of hiring veterans. Operation Palmetto Employment (OPE), a partnership with the S.C. National Guard and S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW), is the first of a statewide effort to reduce the unemployment rate of South Carolina’s military community. OPE provides a website and teams of veterans service representatives from various organizations and an annual summit to bring all relevant parties together to share resources, best practices, needs and accomplishments. See more information. H.R. 3474 Seeks to Incentivize Small Businesses to Hire Veterans On March 11, 2014 the House overwhelmingly voted to support H.R. 3474, the Hire More Heroes Act, which adjusts requirements under the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Employer Shared Responsibility provision. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. Currently under the ACA, all businesses with more than 50 full-time employees provide health insurance to their employees or pay a fee. H.R. 3474 exempts veterans who already receive health insurance through the Veterans Affairs Department or reservists covered under Tricare from being counted toward the number of employees that triggers the employer mandate. There are currently 8 million veterans receiving health care through the Veterans Affairs Department (VA) system, while hundreds of thousands of reservists receive health care through the military’s health care system (Tricare). Track the bill here. New job search program available to veterans 1kVets has launched a unique job search program that is free for veterans for a limited time. The program increases your knowledge of social media with a specific focus on LinkedIn. Once your LinkedIn profile is good to go, 1kVets provides job hunting tools and trains you on unique social job search technology. Space is limited, sign up here. Here is what one veteran said about the program: “I was actively seeking employment for a month before I was connected with 1kVets. I was searching for a very specific position in the Carolinas while living in Wisconsin. Within just three weeks of joining [1kVets], I was flown to Greensboro, NC for a job interview and was subsequently offered a position as an external auditor with a prestigious accounting firm.” More Career Resources Find a veteran career fair near you. Visit: https://events.recruitmilitary.com Webinar - 7 Tips for Veterans to Get a Job Through a Career Fair Register: http://rmvets.com/7tipsemail Receive automated job alerts: Learn more: http://rmvets.com/jobsforme Have a security clearance? Visit: https://secure.clearancejobs.com/register.php?action=candidate&ref=rm Need help with your resume? DIY with our FREE Resume Best Practices Guide: http://docs.recruitmilitary.com/pdf/Resume_Best_Practices.pdf Get professional resume help: https://recruitmilitary.com/resume-writing